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From
world-famous chefs hosting classes in their kitchens to eating like a local at
off-the-beaten-track restaurants, here are ten culinary experiences worth
planning a trip around.

ByMarnie Hanel on October 19, 2011

No
matter how you tip the gastronomic scale, one thing is certain: Eating well and
traveling well go hand-in-hand. Regardless of whether you’re a full-out foodie
or a humble supper guest, meals form memories. But instead of picking a travel
destination and then figuring out where to eat, why not plan an unforgettable
vacation experience that revolves around food?

From
cheese tastings in Bordeaux with the head chef of Chez Panisse to intimate
master classes with Jean-Georges Vongerichten in his kitchen, hands-on culinary
trips offer an opportunity to return home with a new-found mastery of cooking’s
secrets. To experience the flavors of turmeric, lemongrass and coconut milk,
Thailand’s Four Seasons Chiang Mai offers travelers the opportunity to shop at
a local market and then prepare a lunch using local produce. If seafood is the
order, Nova Scotia’s Trout Point Lodge offers classes in how to cook with
lobster, mussels and oysters.

Not all
culinary trips have to involve slicing and dicing. Whether a traveler’s
preference is fine dining and white-table-cloth establishments or charming
hidden-gem eateries (and their legendary treats), it’s possible to pick
epicurean destinations that give an intimate glimpse into a new gourmet world.
Take a pilgrimage to Copenhagen, Denmark, to dine at Noma, where foodies clamor
to experience Rene Redzepi’s revolutionary food experience. Or venture to Tokyo
for a personally curated tour of the city’s best eats.

We may
never know whether it’s the blueberries or the ocean air that makes a cobbler
in Maine so delectable, or if it’s the sourced-on-the-scene truffles or the
rolling Piedmont hills that makes us twist another heap of tajarin into our pasta bowls, but Departures can show you how to get there. Herewith, our list of delectable adventures for both
the true epicureans, and the eaters, in all of us.